18G6.} 
AMERICAN AQRIGULTURIST.' 
315 
Ferrets and Weasels vs. Rats and Gophers. 
The cliscnssion which has taken place in the 
Agriculturid about Gophers, called out a com¬ 
munication from a Western Subscriber, who 
says he has used the common ferret with great 
success against the striped Gopher, and sug¬ 
gests its use in ex¬ 
terminating the 
common Porrched 
Gopher. The idea 
is a very good one, 
and considering 
that the “ com¬ 
mon ferret” is one 
of the most un¬ 
common of our 
domestic animals, 
we figure and de¬ 
scribe it. To save 
correspond e n c e 
we will say that we 
know not where 
there are any for 
sale, but that if 
our readers want 
to buy them and 
see none adver¬ 
tised, they may 
bear it in mind 
when they next 
visit some large 
city, and then in¬ 
quire for them of 
those people who import and sell dogs, sing¬ 
ing birds, etc., for they generally keep them. 
The ferret is an animal of the weasel kind, 
only much larger and stronger. It is known in 
Europe and America only in a state of domes¬ 
tication (but not of tameness), for its native 
country is Africa, and unless protected in winter 
in northern regions it will perish from the cold. 
This species so resembles the European pole¬ 
cat or fitch that it was regarded by Buffon as a 
variety of the 
same species. And 
it is said that the 
two animals breed 
freely together; 
so that the breed¬ 
ers of ferrets prac¬ 
tise crossing them 
to increase the 
size and constitu¬ 
tion of the ferrets. 
It seems j^robable 
that the color of 
the ferret, Avhich 
is commonly a 
dingy white with 
pink eyes, is a re¬ 
sult in part of do¬ 
mestication, for its 
natural colors are 
light brown,some¬ 
times dark brown 
or even black, the 
color being more 
or less in spots. 
The albinos ap¬ 
pear, however, to 
be most common, and their red, fiery eyes are 
most remarkable. The ferret is about thirteen 
or fourteen inches long, the tail being about five 
inches more. It has great strength .and bold¬ 
ness, and when attacking its prey it exhibits 
astonishing ferocity and nervous excitement. 
These animals are bred and used extensively 
all over Europe, to hunt rabbits, rats and other 
snuill animals. Their natural instincts are so 
strong that they require no training, though of 
course they improve by practice, which is called 
training; the only desirable quality which they 
may be taught seems to be to allow themselves 
readily to be caught. They are always muzzled 
when let out or hunted with, for when one gets 
Fig. 1.— THE FEURET —Putonus furo. 
off its muzzle it is .almost surely lost, for it will 
catch its victim, suck its blood, and then go to 
sleep. From this sleep or stupor it will not 
arouse until it has digested its repast, and wakes 
hungry and fierce for other prey, and where its 
game is plenty nothing more will be seen of it; 
but it will perish when winter comes on. Kept 
muzzled, however, it will return after its hunt to 
be fed; while the animals are driven from their 
burrows or holes into nets or snares of some kind. 
The ferrets, in common with their congeners,"^ 
the polecat and the weasels, possesses the pro¬ 
perty of emitting a very disagreeable skunk¬ 
like odor when they are irritated or attacked by 
a superior animal. This makes it necessary 
therefore to handle them with great care. 
Their bite is also severe and hard to cure. 
The price asked for ferrets in this country is 
$10 to $25 a pair. This makes them rather ex¬ 
pensive, especially as they are not long lived as 
a general thing, being peculiarly subject to dis¬ 
ease. AVe have, however, several native ani¬ 
mals of the same family which may be obtained 
at less cost, and would probably do very good 
service, if domesticated and trained like ferrets. 
The Mink (Pic- 
torius vison) is 
larger than the fer¬ 
ret, and it is said 
to be easily tam¬ 
ed ; doubtless .also 
it would breed in 
c.aptivity, and, if 
so, might easily be 
trained to hunt 
muzzled and re¬ 
turn, or allow it¬ 
self to be caught, 
to get its food. It 
is of the same 
fierce disposition, 
and is an implaca¬ 
ble enemy to the 
smaller quadru¬ 
peds and birds. 
The little Weasel 
{Putorius pusil- 
Itis) is most com¬ 
mon, although the 
larger one, known 
as the JVezo York 
Weasel {Putorius 
Novehoracensis, Pe Kay), or Ph'mine Weasel (P. 
erminea, Linn), is common, and probably a bet¬ 
ter rat catcher. The former is 7 or 8 inches 
long, with a tail of two inches; its color is the 
same summer and avinter, namely, chestnut 
brown above, and growing. darker to the tail, 
which is black .at the tips. The belly is yel¬ 
lowish white, and white beneath the throat. It 
is readily reeognized by its size, and muzzled 
would hardly drive a fierce rat. The Ermine 
Weasel is a much 
more powerful 
animal, having a 
stouter, thicker 
body, larger head, 
jaws and legs, of 
very much the 
same color in its 
summer dress, but 
in its winter dress 
pure white, with 
sulphur - j^ellow 
flanks,and a black 
tipped tail. Its 
ferocity is equal 
or superior to any 
of its congeners, 
except the ferret 
perhaps, .and it 
will attack with¬ 
out hesitation ani¬ 
mals much larger 
than itself. AVe 
have no doubt it 
would make, with 
only a little train¬ 
ing, an excellent 
ratter,’ and equally effective destroyer of go¬ 
phers. Like the rest of their genus they are 
nocturnal in their habits, and prone to periods 
of stupor after gorging themselves. The en¬ 
graving which we give is of the Ermine Weasel. 
The weasels are Veil-known destroyers of 
rats and mice, and a pair will soon rid barns 
and granaries of these vermin. Many a farmer 
Fig. 2.— THE ERMINE WEASEL —Puiorius crminea. • 
